Poll: Best Remaining Free Agent Starting Pitcher

Pitchers and catchers are due to report in about three weeks, and by now all of the high-end free agents have come off the board. Heck, even second tier options have signed by now. That leaves just reclamation-type projects and players with considerable flaws, especially when it comes to pitching.

It’s nice to see I’m not the only person who still believes in Justin Duchscherer. Any team still in need of starting pitching would be crazy not to offer him $1 million, or so, plus incentives. So much upside! The health concerns go without saying, but when he’s out there, he is always really good.

kenny williams should be calling this guy. He has experience starting and in the pen…in other words the perfect guy for the sox right now..leavin sale as the closer and justin can start untill peavy comes back and then move to the pen

Dave Bush is better than Millwood and Lopez… As much upside as Duchsherer in that both these guys can have dominant performances from time to time. I think both of them would benefit from having a veteran pitching coach and/or manager.

freddy garcia was actually by the number one of the top 5 5th starts in the entire league last year and will likely find his way back to his brother in laws team the whitesox as the 5th untill peavy comes back and either traded or sit on the bench and the “emergency starter” in other words once peavy comes back freddy will just hang out and be another pitching coach

*Millwood the AL loss leader, in fairness he can eat innings, but his ERA will be in the neighborhood of 5+.

*Bonderman has not pitched effectively in nearly two and half seasons. This kid’s talent has never been questioned, but his skill set at this time is marginal at best. He may be hanging out with Gil Meche sooner than later.

*Garcia has pitched as expected the past few years. And you can expect him to be a solid #4 or #5. He is what he is and doesn’t have much upside.

*Doug Davis is left handed and the league knows it. He has gotten hit hard over the past year and half. Holds runners well, but he can’t stay healthy. And when he is healthy, he loses more often than not.

* Rodrigo Lopez is not an option for many teams who are looking for good pitching. I know Arizona is a cracker jack box, but to get that hard by those teams in the light hitting NL West is troubling.

*Todd Wellenmeyer is the luckiest guy in the bigs over the past few years. He has been on some of the more dominant staffs in all of baseball. Unfortunately, he didn’t’ contribute much to those staffs. He is a #5 at best.

*Brian Moehler is a starting pitcher in MLB? Is he? Cause if you look at his numbers he isn’t a very good one. Too old. Too high ERA.

*John Maine is 29 but does he still have that desire to be great. He has a great frame and all the pitches to get hitters out consistently. He is worthy of this list.

*Justin Duchscherer is a two time all-star and has had success in each role. However this past season, there were rumors of Suicide and Social Anxiety issues. Give him credit he notified the A’s and ask for help. But he might be more like Bill Lee than we want to believe. If happy and healthy. . . Who wouldn’t want an All-Star Pitcher with closer, setup and starter experience?

Dave Bush, JD Martin, and even Bruce Chen are worthy of this list.

But the best pitcher available is Justin Duscherer. He may need some extra attention, but so did Josh Hamilton. Hire a “spiritual” advisor or whatever and you may get a big return on a small investment. TEXAS or OAKLAND are likely destinations.

Duchscherer
Lowe
Matusz
Guthrie
Arrieta
Bergesen – your 6th starter or when or if Duchscherer goes down he is your 5th starter.

Put Schafer in AAA to make sure he is healthy and if he is bring him up and he backs up the whole OF. Platoon Reimold with Scott in LF (assuming the Braves would want Pie due to him filling the CF void they have) Dont know about you but I think that team looks pretty good!!

Or move Bergesen instead of Tillman. Bergesen is father along than Tillman as is Pie than Schafer. Bergesen is one year removed from a 7-5 3.43 ERA in 2009 in the AL East. Think he would fit in behind Hudson,Hanson, Jurrjens as a good #4 and you get the upgrade at CF you are lookikng for. Lets face it McLouth SUCKS and Pie I think has a higher ceiling and is farther along than Schafer plus I think this would save the Braves some money and give the O’s the kind of P they are looking for.

I’d like to see the Braves sign Justin Duchscherer if he comes cheap enough. We may need to move KK first though, then hopefully trade Lowe before the season starts. We could also consider adding another pitcher on the cheap if Lowe is moved. Though we have good depth including Minor, Beachy, etc.

If these guys were arbitration eligible and younger they’d be banking 5million or more. The young players get paid a heck of a lot more than these guys even if they are no good. Guys like Guthrie in Baltimore.

Best consistent as in u know is going to go 5 innings and get hammered? The only FA in that entire list that remotely deserves a spot on a *contending* teams rotation is Duscherer and even HE should be a reliever. Not a one of them should be a starter on anyone, except for the likes of the Pirates of MLB.

To paraphrase a quote from Douglas Adams’ “Restaurant at the End of the Universe,” Those who have the ability to get elected should never be elected. They’re all either nuts, self interested jerks, power hungry hypocrites, shills for a business, or some combination of these. If it’s not a crazy person like Rand Paul, it’d be another psycho.

Alright, let me put it this way: Every election day we get a choice between pepsi and coke, their backers spend a lot of money to convince you how different they are and how much the other product is awful but in the end you get the exact same thing. A sugary brown liquid that in the long run is bad for you.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think apathy is a solution and honestly I won’t try to sell my views as one. I just think the most democratic thing I can do as an individual is walk away.